Britains greatest machines

[Oyster 49]

Here is the innovative turbine. Made in Derby, UK. Fine British engineering at it's very best.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wiscr7MeAxw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2B9oY2pdas

[Rob Ripley]

My brother would not forgive me if I did not mention another famous British name that has now gone. Riley.

[Stelios_Rjk]

Astonishing machines!
I saw all parts of the Rolls Royce turbine, great machining, speech is not enough to express..

[CatiGull]

I love reminding the USAF that their pride and joy of WWII, the P51 Mustang, was a dog until it had a Merlin...

[Oyster 49]

The early mustang was a dog, and it was built to a British requirement!

Later on with the RR engine fitted the Americans adopted it as their primary fighter, but the engine was renamed as a Packard. In R-R it has always been known as a "Packard Merlin". One of the early mustang allison engines is dispalyed in the R-R museum in Derby.

[1650bullet]

They even used the Merlin engines in the PT Boats as well. However, they had to rejet and tune the motors to suit the hot and humid sea level conditions to get the power out of them. towards the end of the war the packards got the ass.

[1650bullet]

Whats happened to the Hover crafts that used to cross the English channel. There sitting some place I assume. Has any member ever been on one of those huge big ones that carried all the cars.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lb1GY94kXmU

[Charles uk]

On a rough day it was like sliding down stairs on a tea tray, sitting in aeroplane type seats, but they were fast, conditions permitting.

They launched & landed straight up a very wide concrete slip.

I crossed one rough time with a party of French down syndrome school kids, who were really suffering, one of the school mistresses who was an evil old witch shouting at these poor kids, got her comeuppance when a couple of them projectile vomited all over her, made me feel that there is still some justice in this world!

[1650bullet]

Were they that bad. The hovercraft that is. One had a bad accident once I believe. Hit a wall on the way into the harbour or something.

[Oyster 49]

I remember seeing the large ones in Cowes when on holiday as a teenager. I believe they were built and developed in Cowes, where the ramp and building still exist. You can also see the ramps I think in Dover's Western Docks on Google earth.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:SRN4_ ... _Class.jpg

[CatiGull]

Later on with the RR engine fitted the Americans adopted it as their primary fighter, but the engine was renamed as a Packard. In R-R it has always been known as a "Packard Merlin". One of the early mustang allison engines is dispalyed in the R-R museum in Derby.

I wonder if the 'Packard' designation and any genesis with the American Automobile manufacturer (circa 1900-1960) of the same name?

Sorry for thread drift, my Bing carb has plugged up and let this keyboard adrift..

[charlesp]

A Packard Merlin was a Rolls Royce Merlin, built by Packard under license. I understand there were minor differences, mainly to cater for production lines and available tools in the United States.

[1650bullet]

They also used the merlin engines in the patrol boats towards the end part of ww2. However they had to change a couple of things (such as timing and jetting) to get the full benefits from the motors. Quad cam--4 valves per cyl--2 speed supercharger--and a carb as big as a case of scotch. There still being used in the circuit races they have in the usa.

[Horsley-Anarak]

This makes running Seagulls in a wheelie bin look a bit tame.

http://youtu.be/AqrbtxcNqbM

H-A

[Keith.P]

I don't know so much, it didn't run for long before it broke, Seagull's are a little more reliable.
See part 2.